The present invention relates to storage systems, and more particularly, this invention relates to automated health product dispensary libraries.
Automated data storage libraries are known for providing cost effective storage and retrieval of large quantities of data. The data in automated data storage libraries is typically stored on media which is housed in data storage cartridges that are, in turn, stored at storage slots or the like inside the library in a fashion that renders the media, and its resident data, accessible for physical retrieval. Data storage cartridge media in the past has included types of media on which data may be stored and which may serve as removable media. An example of a data storage cartridge that is widely employed in automated data storage libraries for mass data storage is a magnetic tape cartridge.
In addition to data storage media, automated data storage libraries typically comprise data storage drives that store data to, and/or retrieve data from, the data storage cartridge media. Further, automated data storage libraries typically comprise I/O stations at which data storage cartridges are supplied or added to, or removed from, the library. The transport of data storage cartridges between data storage slots, data storage drives, and I/O stations is typically accomplished by one or more accessors. Such accessors have grippers for physically retrieving the selected data storage cartridges from the storage slots within the automated data storage library and transporting such cartridges to the data storage drives by moving, for example, in the X and Y directions.
Moreover, in an effort to increase storage capacity, deep slot technology allows for storage cells that contain more than a single data storage cartridge. Such storage libraries allow for higher density, or more cartridges stored per square foot. In deep slot libraries, two or more cartridges may be stored in a multi-cartridge deep slot cell, arrayed in series, one behind the other, in tiers ranging from a frontmost tier to a rearmost tier.